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interests in afghanistan? the assumption seems to be afghanistan constitutes a vital security interest of the united states, and therefore, we should be investing tens of thousands of soldiers and many billions of dollars to try to remake it. i question that assumption. frankly, i think afghanistan is of marginal interest to the united states. >> well, let me press you on that, andy. if the united states withdraws, britain withdraws, by every account the afghan government is pretty weak. there is a very good chance that it will either fall or large parts of the country will be taken over by the taliban which has, in the past, and is now closely allied with elements of al qaeda and al qaeda-like groups. so you will have a country that has -- allows al qaeda and its people to operate, train, have bases and potentially do terrorist activities from london to madrid, and, of course, the biggest target they often talk about, which is the united states. why is that not a threat? >> well, it is a threat, but it's a mo
interests in afghanistan? the assumption seems to be afghanistan constitutes a vital security interest of the united states, and therefore, we should be investing tens of thousands of soldiers and many billions of dollars to try to remake it. i question that assumption. frankly, i think afghanistan is of marginal interest to the united states. >> well, let me press you on that, andy. if the united states withdraws, britain withdraws, by every account the afghan government is pretty weak....
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and the president has left afghanistan. john, you know what it's like to travel with the president on a trip like this. you went to baghdad with president bush. from being on air force one, what is that like? >> it's a dicey ride in. perhaps they're overstaying the risk, but they want to be extra cautious with the president. you showed the pictures of this president's visit. you see air force one. it's a 747. has the united states stamped on the side. the big flag on the back. they advised president bush when i took that trip to baghdad, they advised president obama the same thing. they'd rather he take a nondescript military plane, the type that flies in at these military bases that doesn't look any different. he wanted to take this to send a signal. i was recruited and just left the white house beat six years ago. they white house said would you do this on a secret basis. tell as few people as possible within the news organization. they tell you turn off all electronic devices, shut off the televisions, shut off the l.e.d
and the president has left afghanistan. john, you know what it's like to travel with the president on a trip like this. you went to baghdad with president bush. from being on air force one, what is that like? >> it's a dicey ride in. perhaps they're overstaying the risk, but they want to be extra cautious with the president. you showed the pictures of this president's visit. you see air force one. it's a 747. has the united states stamped on the side. the big flag on the back. they...
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military personnel in afghanistan. all this happening on the first anniversary of the killing of osama bin laden. nick payton walsh is in kabul for us. set the scene for us. we know the rumors had been wild throughout the day in the afghan capital. we assume he's very secure inside that presidential balance has. but all of this was stop secret given the security precautions that are necessary to protect the president of the united states. first of all, tell our viewers what time it is in afghanistan and what's going on. >> we're just past midnight. about six hours ago, one of the leading tv stations broke the news. many immediately denied that. i heard from one afghan pishl that in fact presidential palace staff were asked to go home around about midday sparking rumors that there may be some sort of vip visit. as you say, he's been to bagram. and of course now on to the presidential palace in kabul where they should sign the partnership agreement. >> nick, stand by. gloria borger is with me. as we look at the video com
military personnel in afghanistan. all this happening on the first anniversary of the killing of osama bin laden. nick payton walsh is in kabul for us. set the scene for us. we know the rumors had been wild throughout the day in the afghan capital. we assume he's very secure inside that presidential balance has. but all of this was stop secret given the security precautions that are necessary to protect the president of the united states. first of all, tell our viewers what time it is in...
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decision time for afghanistan. just under an hour from now, president obama will formally announce a new strategy for what he has called the necessary war. the president will address the nation in a prime time speech from west point military academy. he is expected to call for sending an additional 30,000 troops to be deployed within six months. the mission, to disrupt, dismantle and destroy al qaeda and its extremist allies. but it will not be an open-ended american commitment. a specific timeline for withdrawal will be a part of the deal. cnn's ed henry is at west point. tonight he joins us now live. what else can we expect from the president tonight, ed? >> reporter: well, john, the president is going to order the military that he wants 30,000 more u.s. troops headed to afghanistan. and the key is he wants it with some speed. he wants it faster, this deployment than even general stanley mcchrystal, his commander on the ground had suggested when he had laid out in his now famous memo that he wanted these troops s
decision time for afghanistan. just under an hour from now, president obama will formally announce a new strategy for what he has called the necessary war. the president will address the nation in a prime time speech from west point military academy. he is expected to call for sending an additional 30,000 troops to be deployed within six months. the mission, to disrupt, dismantle and destroy al qaeda and its extremist allies. but it will not be an open-ended american commitment. a specific...
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the war in afghanistan is not going to be ultimately won or lost in afghanistan. there is a lot of other pieces. key to that is pakistan. these sanctuaries, these safe havens. let's remember. >> show one, interrupt. safe havens, we believe osama bin laden. >> most say he is here in this region. let's not forget. there is two taliban. an afghan taliban. and pakistani taliban. the pakistani military right now is fighting the pakistani taliban. right? but that's not the only sanctuary. all of this -- awful it -- is taliban sanctuary. indeed down here in the pakistani city, it is known by american intelligence, ambassador holbrooke as the home of the, the taliban shura, so all of that is taliban and anti-american militant safe haven not just the highlighted areas. >> want to do one other thing, to sill strait two points. the president talked about the past, and mistakes that were made. he said the al qaeda leadership was allowed to escape. this is tora bora they believe in the early days, osama bin laden escaped into pakistan. instructive to talk about past mistakes.
the war in afghanistan is not going to be ultimately won or lost in afghanistan. there is a lot of other pieces. key to that is pakistan. these sanctuaries, these safe havens. let's remember. >> show one, interrupt. safe havens, we believe osama bin laden. >> most say he is here in this region. let's not forget. there is two taliban. an afghan taliban. and pakistani taliban. the pakistani military right now is fighting the pakistani taliban. right? but that's not the only sanctuary....
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they find coming to afghanistan difficult. they find holding themselves in afghanistan rather more difficult. but surely they are around the world and in this region and in numbers that can cause danger and threat to us and we must continue to fight them out. >> larry: what do you believe is the story with osama bin laden? it's been nine years. he's not been captured. where do you think he is? do you think he's alive? >> well, sir, i find it very difficult to speculate on his whereabouts. i can tell you as much with certainty that he is not in afghanistan. he's never been here since we removed them from our soil nine years ago. we should all be looking for him. he's causing us all damage, and he's the cause that's led to the death of so many innocent people in the world. he, by his preaching and action, causes to suffer and die and get mutilated. it's our human responsibility to get rid of him. >> larry: if he is in pakistan, should they be doing more? >> well, if he is there -- i don't know if he's there. but if he's there, o
they find coming to afghanistan difficult. they find holding themselves in afghanistan rather more difficult. but surely they are around the world and in this region and in numbers that can cause danger and threat to us and we must continue to fight them out. >> larry: what do you believe is the story with osama bin laden? it's been nine years. he's not been captured. where do you think he is? do you think he's alive? >> well, sir, i find it very difficult to speculate on his...
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our own cia says there's less than 100 al qaeda in afghanistan. what are we going in afghanistan? president obama said we were attacked in afghanistan. i don't think so. 15 of the 19 hijackers, terrorists, killers of 9/11, they were from saudi arabia. in fact, there wasn't one afghanistan citizen amongst them. the only thing afghanistan had to do with it, they are monkey bars in the desert that these guys trained on. i've seen the video. for that? it's absolutely insane, larry. we have been in this war for twice as long now as the u.s. was in world war ii. twice as long as world war ii. we defeated hitler and tojo and mussolini in half the time it's taken us to find osama bin laden. if he came on tonight and said we're going in with special forces to try and capture the killer, that's a good idea. that's not what he's talking about. he says we'll have 100,000 troops there to find these killers that aren't even there. absolutely insane. >> larry: he didn't make any kind of case to your satisfaction of the dangers, the differences between vietnam and iraq and afghanistan? he was opp
our own cia says there's less than 100 al qaeda in afghanistan. what are we going in afghanistan? president obama said we were attacked in afghanistan. i don't think so. 15 of the 19 hijackers, terrorists, killers of 9/11, they were from saudi arabia. in fact, there wasn't one afghanistan citizen amongst them. the only thing afghanistan had to do with it, they are monkey bars in the desert that these guys trained on. i've seen the video. for that? it's absolutely insane, larry. we have been in...
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afghanistan is one of the ten poorest countries in the world. it has a centuries-long tradition of weak central government. illiteracy rates are somewhere around 70%. the focus has to shift from nation building to deal making. deal making with all kinds of tribal leaders and, yes, even the taliban to buy stability. a few years from now, afghanistan will likely be poor, corrupt, and dysfunctional. but if we can make the right deals with the right people, it will be reasonably stable and inhospitable to al qaeda and other terrorist groups. that would be success. anyway, let's get started. cnn's correspondent michak miche has just spent a week in kandahar, the birthplace of the taliban. he spent time with war lords, went on night patrols with the police, to get an effort of how strong the taliban is and how successful the military mission over there. michael, let's start with the heart of this. your assessment. how is it going? >> reporter: very, very badly, fareed. this is a mission both politically and militarily in crisis. politically, this nati
afghanistan is one of the ten poorest countries in the world. it has a centuries-long tradition of weak central government. illiteracy rates are somewhere around 70%. the focus has to shift from nation building to deal making. deal making with all kinds of tribal leaders and, yes, even the taliban to buy stability. a few years from now, afghanistan will likely be poor, corrupt, and dysfunctional. but if we can make the right deals with the right people, it will be reasonably stable and...
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as far as afghanistan is concerned, afghanistan welcomes the new strategy, and afghanistan will do all it can to be a good partner in it. >> you yourself have said even in your inauguration address that it would take some five years to be able to hand over security to the afghan forces. >> we want to have in afghanistan in another two years the ability to lead operations and provide security for the afghan people in many parts of the country. especially parts of the country where we have trouble fighting terrorism and trying to bring violence down. by the end of five years' term of the current government, we plan to lead operations for the security of the afghan people in all of afghanistan, in the whole country. that is our objective. now, we as afghans also must try our very, very best to reach that goal. and we hope -- >> hamid karzai in that exclusive interview with our christiane amanpour. a friendly reminder that "amanpour" airs every sunday at 2:00 eastern time right here on cnn. >>> they call it house arrest. but what a house you're about to see. we'll show you where director r
as far as afghanistan is concerned, afghanistan welcomes the new strategy, and afghanistan will do all it can to be a good partner in it. >> you yourself have said even in your inauguration address that it would take some five years to be able to hand over security to the afghan forces. >> we want to have in afghanistan in another two years the ability to lead operations and provide security for the afghan people in many parts of the country. especially parts of the country where we...
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so long as afghanistan is afghanistan. so long as those incredulous pakistanis are supporting taliban operations and allowing al qaeda to roam freely in pakistan. pakistan is not a serious partner of the united states. they're not a strategic partner -- >> well, more so as we waver. one of the -- >> they were playing double and triple games long before the united states showed any signs of questioning its policy. that's pakistan. pakistan sees afghanistan as a strategic space for it to manipulate as part of its larger struggle against india. we are not strategic partners with afghanistan. we've got to recognize that. that's a fact of life here. >> look, one thing that we should not leave unsaid at this conversation is that if we withdraw from afghanistan and afghanistan or large portions of it come back under the domain of the taliban there will be human rights abuses there that will shame us. and we should put that squarely on the table. we can talk about strategic interests, and they are real, and we can debate those. bu
so long as afghanistan is afghanistan. so long as those incredulous pakistanis are supporting taliban operations and allowing al qaeda to roam freely in pakistan. pakistan is not a serious partner of the united states. they're not a strategic partner -- >> well, more so as we waver. one of the -- >> they were playing double and triple games long before the united states showed any signs of questioning its policy. that's pakistan. pakistan sees afghanistan as a strategic space for it...
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onning afghanistan's history. he -- on afghanistan's history. there was not a scholar on afghanistan and pakistan that passed through twhaesh didn't co -- through washington that didn't come to his office for an hour of discussion. he tried to figure out what is the sequence and way to solve this. >> i think dick was very pessimistic about afghanistan and our able to do anything in afghanistan. he was before he took the job. he was in the job. but what he had in him was the notion that he still had to bang away at it, you still have to try to solve the problem. we were there. we weren't going to disappear. we weren't going to get out the next day. so his job, as he saw it, was to try to do -- i hate to put it this way -- the near impossible. >> that was why the curfuffle this week about his last words, "stop the war in afghanistan," was so kind of hilarious to those of us who knew him. he knew that you couldn't just stop the war. you know, he wanted to see it drawn down. he -- he understand that -- it had to have a diplomatic solution and a regi
onning afghanistan's history. he -- on afghanistan's history. there was not a scholar on afghanistan and pakistan that passed through twhaesh didn't co -- through washington that didn't come to his office for an hour of discussion. he tried to figure out what is the sequence and way to solve this. >> i think dick was very pessimistic about afghanistan and our able to do anything in afghanistan. he was before he took the job. he was in the job. but what he had in him was the notion that he...
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troops in afghanistan. on january 20th, 2009, and even after the surge troops leave there will be close to 70,000 u.s. troops there. you are getting some initial reaction from some of the republican presidential candidates, glory. what a what are they saying? >> john huntsman is calling for a swifter withdrawal. mitt romney tonight went after the president on timetables saying he's never really liked timetables. this shouldn't be an economic decision. it shouldn't be a political decision. he looks forward to what the commanders on the ground say when they testify before congress. >> as candy as much as economy and jobs will be issue number one in the presidential election in the united states, it's related to afghanistan when you talk about hundreds of billions of dollars that could be spent here opposed to there. >> completely. it's a good argument. it's an argument that makes common sense. if we don't have any money, why are we spending all this money over in afghanistan. you don't want a situation where
troops in afghanistan. on january 20th, 2009, and even after the surge troops leave there will be close to 70,000 u.s. troops there. you are getting some initial reaction from some of the republican presidential candidates, glory. what a what are they saying? >> john huntsman is calling for a swifter withdrawal. mitt romney tonight went after the president on timetables saying he's never really liked timetables. this shouldn't be an economic decision. it shouldn't be a political decision....
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the people of afghanistan want it. every single person we talk to, first thing they want is security. the second thing they want is good governance and an economically viable future. >> as you know, nic, the last time i was in villages in september, the first question they say to the marines is how long are you staying? the marines on the ground say we don't know exactly. they now say well president obama says we're staying for another year and a half. how is that going to affair? >> there is already a trust deficit between the afghan population and a government and what the international community of the united states in particular is trying to do. she is absolutely right. the afghans want these things. they've been looking for them since we came in in numbers in december of 2001. they've been looking for that. it hasn't been coming. they want the warlords tore disarmed. >> they're on the fence right now? >> they're hiding behind the fence. i don't think they're really on it. in places we see them getting out of the v
the people of afghanistan want it. every single person we talk to, first thing they want is security. the second thing they want is good governance and an economically viable future. >> as you know, nic, the last time i was in villages in september, the first question they say to the marines is how long are you staying? the marines on the ground say we don't know exactly. they now say well president obama says we're staying for another year and a half. how is that going to affair?...
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troops be out of afghanistan. but then he outlined a ten-year framework, details to be negotiated during which the u.s. will have some sort of military and economic role in afghanistan. so it's a lot a work even though 20,000 or 25,000 more troops will be out this year. the u.s. will still have well over 60,000 troops on the ground in afghanistan in a very hostile, warlike environment. and there will be a lot of casualties, unfortunately, in the process. >> senior member of the senate armed services committee has said today clearly this trip is campaign related. we've seen recently president obama has visited college campuses to win back the support of that age group. similarly this trip to afghanistan is an attempt to shore up his national security credentials because he spent the past three years gutting our military. doug brinkley, do you think that is fair? this is just cheap politics? >> it's cheap politics. we have to pull together more as a country than looking at everything our commander in chief does and
troops be out of afghanistan. but then he outlined a ten-year framework, details to be negotiated during which the u.s. will have some sort of military and economic role in afghanistan. so it's a lot a work even though 20,000 or 25,000 more troops will be out this year. the u.s. will still have well over 60,000 troops on the ground in afghanistan in a very hostile, warlike environment. and there will be a lot of casualties, unfortunately, in the process. >> senior member of the senate...
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and nato forces in afghanistan. we'll get the latest on the alleged civilian massacre by an american soldier and the fallout. >>> bill clinton's surprising first reaction to the death of osama bin laden. for business. [ beeping ] in here, data knows what to do. because the network finds it and tailors it across all the right points, automating all the right actions... [ beeping ] ...to bring all the right results. it's the at&t network -- doing more with data to help business do more for customers. ♪ to help business do more for customers. homicide of young people in america has an impact on all of us. how can we save these young people's lives? as a police chief i have an opportunity to affect what happens in a major city. i learned early on if you want to make a difference you have to have the right education. university of phoenix opened the door. my name is james craig, i'm committed to making a difference and i am a phoenix. oh, yeah? [ chris ] you can call us 24-7, get quotes online, start a claim with our s
and nato forces in afghanistan. we'll get the latest on the alleged civilian massacre by an american soldier and the fallout. >>> bill clinton's surprising first reaction to the death of osama bin laden. for business. [ beeping ] in here, data knows what to do. because the network finds it and tailors it across all the right points, automating all the right actions... [ beeping ] ...to bring all the right results. it's the at&t network -- doing more with data to help business do...
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troop draw down in afghanistan. a white house official tells us the president will announce all 33,000 surge forces will be fully withdrawn from afghanistan by summer of 2012, but another source tells cnn top defense officials were pushing for a smaller draw down. joining us, cnn correspondent chris lawrence, and chris, we're going to talk about the taliban and the size of the people on the ground. >> that's right. well, sources tell us, joe, that basically if this department was pushing for a smaller draw down, a gradual draw down, no more than 5,000 troops by end of the year and probably keeping bulk of the surge through end of next year, not just the summer. here is why. you look at the taliban presence. afghanistan has what's known as fighting seasons. which means they go after the taliban in the spring and summer. then when the taliban go to ground in the winter, u.s. troops consolidate a lot of their gain. if the troops are out by summer, they are not going to have the surge troops next winter to consolidate s
troop draw down in afghanistan. a white house official tells us the president will announce all 33,000 surge forces will be fully withdrawn from afghanistan by summer of 2012, but another source tells cnn top defense officials were pushing for a smaller draw down. joining us, cnn correspondent chris lawrence, and chris, we're going to talk about the taliban and the size of the people on the ground. >> that's right. well, sources tell us, joe, that basically if this department was pushing...
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troops from afghanistan. now, a number of sources tell cnn that the president will announce 10,000 troops will come home by the end of this year. another 20,000 would leave by the end of 2012 leaving 70,000 american forces in afghanistan as 2013 begins. >>> a pilot dodges disaster. a jumbo jet speeding for takeoff had to come to a screeching halt when an egypt aircraft turned onto the runway. at takeoff speeds the pilot would have just had seconds to react. >>> american 158 heavy. >> cancel takeoff plans. >> cancel takeoff plans. >> l>> all traffic is stopped right now. >>> in orlando prosecutors in casey anthony's murder trial reveal another odd twist. they're investigating whether anthony crossed paths with another inmate who lost a child. that inmate's story, eerily similar to the ones defense attorneys are selling about casey anthony. >> apparently her child died in a swimming pool and was found by the child's grandfather, who immediately administered cpr and called 911. >> bismarck, north dakota, is send
troops from afghanistan. now, a number of sources tell cnn that the president will announce 10,000 troops will come home by the end of this year. another 20,000 would leave by the end of 2012 leaving 70,000 american forces in afghanistan as 2013 begins. >>> a pilot dodges disaster. a jumbo jet speeding for takeoff had to come to a screeching halt when an egypt aircraft turned onto the runway. at takeoff speeds the pilot would have just had seconds to react. >>> american 158...
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Dec 14, 2010
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there is no army, no country when you're dealing with afghanistan and terrorism in afghanistan. that's what makes it very difficult. but this man who goes all the way back to the vietnam war took everything that he had learned from that conflict and from other conflicts, bosnia, etcetera, and tried to apply them to what is going on now in afghanistan. and that was one mission, perhaps, that he was not able to accomplish but he certainly gave it his all. >> well, jill, richard holbrooke was known to be tough and straight forward and sometimes that approach worked well and sometimes it didn't work so well. what was his relationship like with hamid karzai? >> reporter: sometimes rocky, but he was able to accomplish something at least. they were able to communicate. but there were some rocky periods. even some of the people who work with him said that it was tough. he was very demanding. and some of them, only i would say the strong survived in that. he did not suffer fools lightly and he really wanted to push ahead. and dealing with the media, you know, we were on many press planes
there is no army, no country when you're dealing with afghanistan and terrorism in afghanistan. that's what makes it very difficult. but this man who goes all the way back to the vietnam war took everything that he had learned from that conflict and from other conflicts, bosnia, etcetera, and tried to apply them to what is going on now in afghanistan. and that was one mission, perhaps, that he was not able to accomplish but he certainly gave it his all. >> well, jill, richard holbrooke...
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on afghanistan. on wall street reform. >> on executive power. >> we are trying to go beyond left and right in this sense. when we come back, we're going to talk more about the right than the left. >>> and we are back with our star-studded panel. arianna huffington, ross douthat, katrina vanden heuvel and eliot spitzer. arianna, sarah palin is the right's answer to obama going to be what is traditionally happens with parties in opposition. they go to their base and find somebody who is true to the base but probably can't win the general election. >> well, sarah palin is responding to something beyond the base. she is responding to the anger at the bailout and she is responding to a sense of unfairness among the american people, which goes to independence, which goes to a lot of middle class americans who are feeling that the game is rigged, that the fix is in and that, therefore, they are in real trouble. and she's appealing to that. if you really interview a lot of the people in the tea party movemen
on afghanistan. on wall street reform. >> on executive power. >> we are trying to go beyond left and right in this sense. when we come back, we're going to talk more about the right than the left. >>> and we are back with our star-studded panel. arianna huffington, ross douthat, katrina vanden heuvel and eliot spitzer. arianna, sarah palin is the right's answer to obama going to be what is traditionally happens with parties in opposition. they go to their base and find...
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of fighting in afghanistan. you see the spike in fatalities, this is combat deaths, other deaths in afghanistan, military personnel, nearly 500 in 2010. at the height of the surge, 262 so far in 2012, just shy of 2,000 now, well below the more bloody, more deadly iraq war but approaching the 2000 number as the president tries to wind that down. one other point to note since we're having this conversation about the candidates for president, lot of those veterans who are coming home from iraq and afghanistan, here's where they live. the darker the state, the higher the veteran population. you see a state like virginia, state like new hampshire with a higher percentage of population of veterans in some of the battleground states, important constituency. >> dan, on the trail, in stump speeches, does the president regularly talk about afghanistan? >> well, it's never the focus of the president's stump speech unless he is talking to veterans or he's in a region that's heavy military. what you hear from the president i
of fighting in afghanistan. you see the spike in fatalities, this is combat deaths, other deaths in afghanistan, military personnel, nearly 500 in 2010. at the height of the surge, 262 so far in 2012, just shy of 2,000 now, well below the more bloody, more deadly iraq war but approaching the 2000 number as the president tries to wind that down. one other point to note since we're having this conversation about the candidates for president, lot of those veterans who are coming home from iraq and...
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there are 34 provinces in afghanistan. it's estimated that fully seven of those provinces today are fully autonomous and have the instruments of success already resident, specifically security, economic development, and reasonably good governance. if we can make progress over the next few years to turn that number of 7 into 15 or 20, i think we'll be doing some good things. so afghanistan cannot be understood by simply being in one place at one time. it's very complex and the same situation doesn't exist all over the country. >> a couple quick points before i let you go. when you were here two months ago, you said you were still hopeful that guantanamo bay would be closed by the end of the year. it's clear now that deadline will not be met. do you have a new target date for getting it closed? >> i think the important thing is that it's moving in the right direction. the president is still insisting that we will close the facility and we're working on finding new solutions. we won't meet the target date, unfortunately, but
there are 34 provinces in afghanistan. it's estimated that fully seven of those provinces today are fully autonomous and have the instruments of success already resident, specifically security, economic development, and reasonably good governance. if we can make progress over the next few years to turn that number of 7 into 15 or 20, i think we'll be doing some good things. so afghanistan cannot be understood by simply being in one place at one time. it's very complex and the same situation...
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is there a future for afghanistan? an open interview with president hamid karzai is next on larry king. great pleasure to welcome to larry king president hamid karzai. he is the president of afghanistan. he comes to us from the presidential palace in kabul. thank you for being with us. we've just marked the ninth anniversary of this war. did you ever think it would take so long? >> no, sir. i never thought it was going to take so long. in 2001 when this whole effort against extremism and terrorism began, the afghan people and the international community joined hands and the victory came within a month and a half. subsequent to that, we all felt that now it was going to be the rebuilding of afghanistan and towards a more secure, brighter future. parts of it we achieved. parts it which was security and the absolute defeat of terrorism, not yet. >> larry: many americans, as you know, mr. president, are anxious about our being there. many are asking, what is the united states' purpose? what can we still achieve in your cou
is there a future for afghanistan? an open interview with president hamid karzai is next on larry king. great pleasure to welcome to larry king president hamid karzai. he is the president of afghanistan. he comes to us from the presidential palace in kabul. thank you for being with us. we've just marked the ninth anniversary of this war. did you ever think it would take so long? >> no, sir. i never thought it was going to take so long. in 2001 when this whole effort against extremism and...
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>> united states came to afghanistan because afghanistan provide add basis for al qaeda to operate against the rest of the world. this was a shared fight between the afghan people and the rest of the world. if afghan was fully functioning, there would be no need for the international community to be in afghanistan. we accomplished a lot. >> it seems like we are going backwards here. roadside bomb attacks are up, and we cannot get out of marjah at this point because there has not been the appropriate backup to come in and set up a government. can you see why the american government may think this will never end? >> the american people came to afghanistan because they were attacked as part of 9/11. that is still evidence. we are facing a bee ing ing a b in afghanistan. collectively we have not succeeded to fight terrorism effectively for many reasons. lack of full commitment and other things. that's not the fault of the afghan people. if we had a fully functioning system in afghanistan, there would be no need for the rest of the world to be there. we have made a lot of progress. the threat o
>> united states came to afghanistan because afghanistan provide add basis for al qaeda to operate against the rest of the world. this was a shared fight between the afghan people and the rest of the world. if afghan was fully functioning, there would be no need for the international community to be in afghanistan. we accomplished a lot. >> it seems like we are going backwards here. roadside bomb attacks are up, and we cannot get out of marjah at this point because there has not...
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today obviously it's afghanistan. so the people who make rick's list today are people who have something to say about afghanistan. representative tom price, there you see jim demint we have got the white house, we have got barack obama, we have got our own nic robertson, we have the gop whips who are also going to be preparing sheets of us. so we're going to do this every day, with the one or two most relevant stories of the day. as a matter of fact we chose pundit mom today. she's one of the most prolific tweeters out there. she's a mother but she also has a lot to say about politics. here's what she had to say. when i heard the news regarding additional troops, my first thought was obama may have just lost 2012. >>> closure for some people in the seattle/tacoma area. a policeman found a man who he thought was in a stolen car. maurice clemmens is the man witnesses say walked up to a table full of police officers sunday morning while they were just doing their work in cold blood and killed them dead. motive? who knows
today obviously it's afghanistan. so the people who make rick's list today are people who have something to say about afghanistan. representative tom price, there you see jim demint we have got the white house, we have got barack obama, we have got our own nic robertson, we have the gop whips who are also going to be preparing sheets of us. so we're going to do this every day, with the one or two most relevant stories of the day. as a matter of fact we chose pundit mom today. she's one of the...
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with our mission in afghanistan. by the way, not just us. 42 other sovereign countries. is that it's been rather open-ended. and so the president decided to narrow the mission in terms of time and focus a little bit. and to give some incentives to president karzai and the afghan establishment to start taking control of its own destiny. >> the theory being, if you don't put a deadline out there's not enough pressure. >> right. >> people will keep it open forever? >> correct. we can't want this more than the afghans do. and i think they want it. and we think we can -- with our allies, by this flow of forces, set the conditions that will give them time and space to achieve those goals. >> how did you come up with the july 2011 target date? >> it was based on, as you know, exhaustive review that's gone on for several months. we coalesced around that date based on military estimates and political guidance, decision-making by the president. we decided using the departure time as 1 july. we put through thousand troops in in
with our mission in afghanistan. by the way, not just us. 42 other sovereign countries. is that it's been rather open-ended. and so the president decided to narrow the mission in terms of time and focus a little bit. and to give some incentives to president karzai and the afghan establishment to start taking control of its own destiny. >> the theory being, if you don't put a deadline out there's not enough pressure. >> right. >> people will keep it open forever? >>...
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al qaeda's base of operations was in afghanistan. where they were harbored by the taliban, a ruthless, repressive and radical movement that seized control of that country after it was ravaged by years of soviet occupation and civil war and after the attention of america and our friends had turned elsewhere. just days after 9/11, congress authorized the use of force against al qaeda and those who harbored them. an authorization that continues to this day. the vote in the senate was 98-0. the vote in the house was 420-1. for the first time in its history, the north atlantic treaty organization invoked article 5, the commitment that says an attack on one member nation is an attack on all. and the united nations security council endorsed the use of all necessary steps to respond to the 9/11 attacks. america, our allies and the world were acting as one. to destroy al qaeda's terrorist network and to protect our common security. under the banner of this domestic unity and international legitimacy, and only after the taliban refused to turn
al qaeda's base of operations was in afghanistan. where they were harbored by the taliban, a ruthless, repressive and radical movement that seized control of that country after it was ravaged by years of soviet occupation and civil war and after the attention of america and our friends had turned elsewhere. just days after 9/11, congress authorized the use of force against al qaeda and those who harbored them. an authorization that continues to this day. the vote in the senate was 98-0. the...
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roughly half of afghanistan wants us in afghanistan and the other half doesn't. the other half that doesn't will fight us harder because they're fighting because they're occupied by foreign powers. adding more troops will only increase the conflict. you start to pull back troops and now, one, it gives the taliban incentive to negotiate but also gives the karzai regime incentive to negotiate because they're not going to do that as long as we keep propping them up. >> last question to you, tom, about an exit strategy. what do you think the troops there are thinking this terms of an exit strategy? where do they define success or at least enough success that we can get out of afghanistan? >> i don't believe the troops there are thinking in terms of an exit strategy. they're thinking in terms of a victory strategy. our troops are there for anywhere from 6 to 12 months at a time and they know that this will be a long and hard war and that to akev the kind of lasting security that the afghan people need and that the afghan government needs is going to be a two, three, f
roughly half of afghanistan wants us in afghanistan and the other half doesn't. the other half that doesn't will fight us harder because they're fighting because they're occupied by foreign powers. adding more troops will only increase the conflict. you start to pull back troops and now, one, it gives the taliban incentive to negotiate but also gives the karzai regime incentive to negotiate because they're not going to do that as long as we keep propping them up. >> last question to you,...
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so as far as afghanistan is concerned, afghanistan welcomes this new strategy and afghanistan will do all it can to be a good partner in it. >> do you think that although the president has concentrated on defeating al qaeda and preventing it to come back, they're not saying they want to defeat the taliban. do you think the taliban needs to be defeated? >> those taliban who are part of al qaeda, who are part of the terrorist networks who are organized from outside against afghanistan in association with terrorist networks, of course they need to be defeated with those terrorist networks. but the thousands of taliban, the majority of them who have no such linkage with the terrorist networks, they are part of our people, they must be reintegrated into the afghan society. >> do you have a plan to do that? >> we have a plan to do that. we have been working on a peace process for a number of years now. what we lacked for those years was a clear understanding or support from our partners. now that the new strategy of the united states and our other allies is talking of reintegration and brin
so as far as afghanistan is concerned, afghanistan welcomes this new strategy and afghanistan will do all it can to be a good partner in it. >> do you think that although the president has concentrated on defeating al qaeda and preventing it to come back, they're not saying they want to defeat the taliban. do you think the taliban needs to be defeated? >> those taliban who are part of al qaeda, who are part of the terrorist networks who are organized from outside against afghanistan...
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that's the only real way forward in afghanistan. >>> the president will make his afghanistan strategy speech tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern time, and cnn's special coverage starts at 7:00 eastern. we will carry the speech live, of course, for you right here on cnn. >>> you've got plenty of questions on afghanistan. we've got answers for you. e-mail your questions, right now, to mailtothechief@cnn.com or tweet us at kyracnn. >>> in our 1:00 p.m. hour "just, oh, seven minutes from now, the president's national security chief of staff, dennis mcdunn na will join kyra and answer your questions. >>> the plan for afghanistan will likely have a ripple effect on its neighbor. pakistani officials worried about what the new strategy means for their country. welcome to the now network, population 49 million. right now 1.2 million people are on sprint mobile broadband. 31 are streaming a sales conference from the road. 154 are tracking shipments on a train. 33 are iming on a ferry. and 1300 are secretly checking email on a vacation. that's happening now. america's most dependable 3g network. bringi
that's the only real way forward in afghanistan. >>> the president will make his afghanistan strategy speech tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern time, and cnn's special coverage starts at 7:00 eastern. we will carry the speech live, of course, for you right here on cnn. >>> you've got plenty of questions on afghanistan. we've got answers for you. e-mail your questions, right now, to mailtothechief@cnn.com or tweet us at kyracnn. >>> in our 1:00 p.m. hour "just, oh,...
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the war in afghanistan is not going to be ultimately won or lost in afghanistan. there's a lot of other pieces. key to that is pakistan. these sanctuaries, these safe havens. now, let's remember -- >> i want to show one viewer. interrupt you for one second. safe haven. >> osama bin laden, most people think he's safe in this region. there's two talibans. there's an afghan taliban and a pakistani taliban. the pakistani military right now is fighting the pakistani taliban, right? but that's not the only sanctuary, all of this, all of it, is taliban sanctuary. indeed, down here, in the pakistani city of queta, it's known by american intelligence, by ambassador holbrooke as the home of the taliban shura. so, all of that is taliban and anti-american militant safe haven, not just the highlighted areas. >> i want to do one other point, to show two points. number one, the president talked about the past and under-u.s. resourcing. he talked about safe may haveges and the al qaeda leadership allowed to escape. this is tora bora where they believe back in the early days osama
the war in afghanistan is not going to be ultimately won or lost in afghanistan. there's a lot of other pieces. key to that is pakistan. these sanctuaries, these safe havens. now, let's remember -- >> i want to show one viewer. interrupt you for one second. safe haven. >> osama bin laden, most people think he's safe in this region. there's two talibans. there's an afghan taliban and a pakistani taliban. the pakistani military right now is fighting the pakistani taliban, right? but...
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afghanistan. the president will be telling us about the new strategic partnership agreement he has just signed with afghanistan's president outlining the relationship between the united states and afghanistan after the withdrawal of u.s. forces at the end of 2014. white house officials tell us the timing was driven by the negotiations over that agreement at an upcoming nato summit. critics will say it is about politics. everyone knows today is the anniversary of the raid in pakistan that killed osama bin laden. on the ground, do people there -- are they aware that president obama is on the ground? >> reporter: late in the afternoon the sun went down there was a report on afghan media suggesting that he was already in kabul. since then we have seen absolute silence across the city occasionally by helicopters and that is presumably some part of the president in and out of the capital. the speech we are about to hear in the next half hour i think will be cap suilated. there are two bits of the speech
afghanistan. the president will be telling us about the new strategic partnership agreement he has just signed with afghanistan's president outlining the relationship between the united states and afghanistan after the withdrawal of u.s. forces at the end of 2014. white house officials tell us the timing was driven by the negotiations over that agreement at an upcoming nato summit. critics will say it is about politics. everyone knows today is the anniversary of the raid in pakistan that killed...
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Nov 30, 2009
11/09
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troops there in afghanistan. my question is -- they're also trying to be more personal instead of walking around at big brother. are they winning any hearts and minds on the ground in afghanistan? >> you see small battles won every day, but you know, it really depends -- you have to get down to the individual level. you know, you see times where the kids will run up and they'll talk to some of the soldiers and there seems to be a good rapport between the soldiers and people in that village. other times we see where they throw rocks at some of the soldiers as they pass by in the convoy. it's a very much individual basis. something they brought up, a great point about pay and getting some of these afghan security forces. they did just raise their pay, so now they're going to make about $165 a month u.s. it doesn't sound like much to us here in the united states, but in a country where a lot of people are living on a dollar a day, you know, it's a significant increase. so it will be interesting to see if that pay in
troops there in afghanistan. my question is -- they're also trying to be more personal instead of walking around at big brother. are they winning any hearts and minds on the ground in afghanistan? >> you see small battles won every day, but you know, it really depends -- you have to get down to the individual level. you know, you see times where the kids will run up and they'll talk to some of the soldiers and there seems to be a good rapport between the soldiers and people in that...
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forces in afghanistan. four marines killed in the east of the country while on patrol with afghan forces and in kabul, the capital of afghanistan, a suicide attack on the airport there. at least three people known dead. others are wounded. it was a dramatic development in a day that has seen many dramatic developments. for the first time today, nato commander admits that civilians were among the dead in a bombing on friday. america's top commander stanley mcchrystal now launching an investigation and banning alcohol at the command post in kabul. that is after reports that subordinates were too drunk or too hung over to answer his questions following the strike. however, pentagon spokesmen did tell the associated press that the general's frustration over contacting his staff did trigger the booze ban. he is clearly doing serious damage control. >> i think it's a serious event that is going to be a test of whether we are willing to be transparent and whether we are willing to show that we are here to protect
forces in afghanistan. four marines killed in the east of the country while on patrol with afghan forces and in kabul, the capital of afghanistan, a suicide attack on the airport there. at least three people known dead. others are wounded. it was a dramatic development in a day that has seen many dramatic developments. for the first time today, nato commander admits that civilians were among the dead in a bombing on friday. america's top commander stanley mcchrystal now launching an...
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Jun 22, 2011
06/11
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forces in afghanistan. a senior official told cnn that the president will announce he is ordering the withdrawal of all 33,000 surge forces in afghanistan by the end of the next summer, 2012. that is sooner than a lot of people believed. let's go straight to brianna keilar. you and other reporters at the white house have been getting briefings. what do you hear? >> reporter: from that senior official, here's the break down on pulling out all 3,000 of the surge troops by the end of the year. 10,000 out by the end of 2011 and the remaining 23,000 surge troops would be out no later than september 2012. keep manage mind that still leaves a significant number of u.s. troops, about 70,000 in afghanistan until 2014, but this is quicker than initial reports that we were hearing and you should expect tonight when the president addresses the nation that he will be justifying these drawdown numbers by touting successes that whout officials have been framing like this and they made significant strides in diminishing al
forces in afghanistan. a senior official told cnn that the president will announce he is ordering the withdrawal of all 33,000 surge forces in afghanistan by the end of the next summer, 2012. that is sooner than a lot of people believed. let's go straight to brianna keilar. you and other reporters at the white house have been getting briefings. what do you hear? >> reporter: from that senior official, here's the break down on pulling out all 3,000 of the surge troops by the end of the...
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Jun 29, 2010
06/10
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forces in afghanistan. senator john mccain giving his statement. >> one of our finest ever military leaders. i hope that does not provoke the same reaction as it did then but we are all grateful for your willingness to answer the call of service again and yet another critical mission. you are an american hero and i am confident that you will be quickly and overwhelmingly confirmed. before i go further, let me say a word of praise for another american hero, general stanley mcchrystal. a man of unrivalled integrity and what's most impressive about his long record of military excellence is how much of it remains cloaked in silence. few understand fully how general mcchrystal systematically dismantled al qaeda in iraq and how he began to turn around our failing war in afghanistan. these achievements and others like them are the true measure of stanley mcchrystal and they will earn him an honored place in our history. the events that led to this hearing are unexpected and i agree with the president that success
forces in afghanistan. senator john mccain giving his statement. >> one of our finest ever military leaders. i hope that does not provoke the same reaction as it did then but we are all grateful for your willingness to answer the call of service again and yet another critical mission. you are an american hero and i am confident that you will be quickly and overwhelmingly confirmed. before i go further, let me say a word of praise for another american hero, general stanley mcchrystal. a...
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Nov 30, 2009
11/09
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he's going to tell us. >> tell me why you believe afghanistan is worth it. >> we're in afghanistan now because it was a haven for al qaeda and we don't want to see them inherent afghanistan as a new training movement for al qaeda and we've gone in and disrupted this country and kicked the taliban out and we don't want to see afghanistan degenerate into another taliban-run country that is totally dysfunctional in this area. that adds to instability in the area. we're for stability. that's what we're really trying to do. >> enough for now or enough to get the job done? >> don't know the answer to that question. and it's a little large ner terms of population and our number of soldiers in afghanistan per populous is considerably below what it was in afghanistan at the high point and it's also a country with no infrastructure to speak of. no roads that are useable. so this is a tough, tough problem. now, on the good news side, we've seen over history that ann insurgency, if you bring security to the people when the people are to the government in control. whether that can be done by 2013 o
he's going to tell us. >> tell me why you believe afghanistan is worth it. >> we're in afghanistan now because it was a haven for al qaeda and we don't want to see them inherent afghanistan as a new training movement for al qaeda and we've gone in and disrupted this country and kicked the taliban out and we don't want to see afghanistan degenerate into another taliban-run country that is totally dysfunctional in this area. that adds to instability in the area. we're for stability....
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presence in afghanistan. two air bases that would be beneficial to the afghan security forces, only if the afghans want it as a way to make sure this country never goes back into the hands of the taliban. that would be a good way to end the afghan conflict. >> you know, senator, i hear what you're saying and i'm actually startled by it. my recollection is this war was al qaeda and terrorism, not about nation building in afghanistan. you're now suggesting a permanent imperpetuity presence in afghanistan, the most corrupt country, a president who takes bags of cash from iran. what are we doing? al qaeda is in pakistan, somalia, yemen. why are we going to be sending american troops to die, to prop up a corrupt karzai who's been antithetical to what we believe in? >> well, my belief is that we're in afghanistan to protect national security interests of this nation. if you replace karzai, who do you replace him with? the people to replace him would be the taliban and the taliban would open up afghanistan once agai
presence in afghanistan. two air bases that would be beneficial to the afghan security forces, only if the afghans want it as a way to make sure this country never goes back into the hands of the taliban. that would be a good way to end the afghan conflict. >> you know, senator, i hear what you're saying and i'm actually startled by it. my recollection is this war was al qaeda and terrorism, not about nation building in afghanistan. you're now suggesting a permanent imperpetuity presence...
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Sep 13, 2009
09/09
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what do we need to accomplish in afghanistan? i question the assumption that the fate of afghanistan constitutes a vital national security interest of the united states. i would insist that our interests there are actually quite limited and so long as we deny al qaeda the ability to establish a substantial presence there, we don't much care what happens in afghanistan, and i would argue strongly that after eight years of a large-scale military presence, simply expanding on this project for another five or ten years with the hope that somehow afghanistan is going to become a peaceful and democratic place is folly. we can't afford it. to emphasize, we don't need to undertake this project. >> so let me ask you, andy. most people would agree that there is some al qaeda presence in afghanistan and pakistan. and the fact that they can roam freely between those two countries is a danger that they do have the ambition to plan terrorist activities. and most military commanders tell me that the intelligence -- the presence in afghanistan i
what do we need to accomplish in afghanistan? i question the assumption that the fate of afghanistan constitutes a vital national security interest of the united states. i would insist that our interests there are actually quite limited and so long as we deny al qaeda the ability to establish a substantial presence there, we don't much care what happens in afghanistan, and i would argue strongly that after eight years of a large-scale military presence, simply expanding on this project for...
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and afghanistan? >> well, wolf, president obama is moving very quickly across afghanistan during this visit for a very simple reason. as he tries to move ahead with this strategic partnership keeping the details of this trip secret is key to keeping the president safe. it doesn't get much riskier than sending the president of the united states into a war zone. president obama arrived into bagram air base, afghanistan, under cover of darkness with extraordinary security measures. reporters traveling with the president were sworn to secrecy. the secret service is prepared for anything that could happen. it starts with getting in. u.s. planes landing in afghanistan perform a corkscrew type landing making sharp banks and terms to avoid heat seeking missiles. the colonel knows first hand how dangerous it can be. now retired he told wolf blitzer about secretly taking george w. bush to baghdad in 2003 while combat raged. >> the challenge wasn't so much to get him in there because we easily fooled everybody a
and afghanistan? >> well, wolf, president obama is moving very quickly across afghanistan during this visit for a very simple reason. as he tries to move ahead with this strategic partnership keeping the details of this trip secret is key to keeping the president safe. it doesn't get much riskier than sending the president of the united states into a war zone. president obama arrived into bagram air base, afghanistan, under cover of darkness with extraordinary security measures. reporters...
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for more tips, visit numberschangeyourlife.org. >>> 1979, afghanistan. soviet troops invade an islamic nation. a call for jihad against the infidel sounds throughout the muslim world. a call raised by men like abdullah azzam, a palestinian cleric, charismatic and deeply spiritual. he is the man who would mentor and shape osama bin laden throughout much of the 1980s. >> my name is hutaifa azzam. i have been living with bin laden for more than eight years continuously, you could say. >> hutaifa is abdullah azzam's son. this is his first interview for western television. >> my father was leading arabic and islamic studies and my father was studying engineering at that time. >> reporter: bin laden was drawn to the influential cleric seen here in afghanistan. he was the ideologic force behind the call for jihad, and he implored the young and impressionable osama to follow him. >> at the end of 1984, end of summer, my father told me, you have to leave with me, i'm leaving for pakistan and afghanistan. >> reporter: bin laden responded. he made the move from sau
for more tips, visit numberschangeyourlife.org. >>> 1979, afghanistan. soviet troops invade an islamic nation. a call for jihad against the infidel sounds throughout the muslim world. a call raised by men like abdullah azzam, a palestinian cleric, charismatic and deeply spiritual. he is the man who would mentor and shape osama bin laden throughout much of the 1980s. >> my name is hutaifa azzam. i have been living with bin laden for more than eight years continuously, you could...
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05/10
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>> afghanistan service. i will ask president karzai a question and then president obama. >> american, afghanistan service? >> yes. >> good. >> thank you. one of your purposes of your trip here to gain at the support of u.s. government for reconciliation and integration of taliban in afghanistan, when you first initiated these strategy or plan, you were interested in talks with lower to middle level of taliban but you have increasingly shown interest in to bringing taliban leaders into the negotiations. while taliban made it very clear that the only way for them to talk to the afghan government is a complete withdrawal of foreign troops from afghanistan and the creation of a government in that country. are you sure that this is strategy, after all the support that you will gain from international community will be a successful one and will not be yet another failed strategy in afghanistan? and my question for president obama would be that, secretary clinton yesterday mentioned in a gathering that u.s. support
>> afghanistan service. i will ask president karzai a question and then president obama. >> american, afghanistan service? >> yes. >> good. >> thank you. one of your purposes of your trip here to gain at the support of u.s. government for reconciliation and integration of taliban in afghanistan, when you first initiated these strategy or plan, you were interested in talks with lower to middle level of taliban but you have increasingly shown interest in to bringing...
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troops be in afghanistan? >> maybe the better question, and i don't mean to be presumptuous, how much longer will we suffer a lot of casualties? that's what people care about. we've been in korea since the end of the korean war. we've been in europe since world war ii, and nobody cares. they do care when americans die. here's what awaits us. we're going to lose more troops in the foreseeable future. casualty rates will go up, the cost of the war is going to increase. it's going to get worse before it gets better. i hope by next summer that we can show progress in kandahar, that we not only cleaned and cleared kandahar but we've got some governance in place we've never had before. they don't want the afghan people, the taliban, to come back, but they don't want to be left in a lurch. they don't know what to do right now. they're not sure about our commitment. they're not sure we can beat the taliban. they'd like us to beat them. so next summer hopefully we can show that kandahar has changed. that we've got bett
troops be in afghanistan? >> maybe the better question, and i don't mean to be presumptuous, how much longer will we suffer a lot of casualties? that's what people care about. we've been in korea since the end of the korean war. we've been in europe since world war ii, and nobody cares. they do care when americans die. here's what awaits us. we're going to lose more troops in the foreseeable future. casualty rates will go up, the cost of the war is going to increase. it's going to get...
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07/09
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things seem to be ratcheting up in afghanistan. stretching pete gretchen peters wrote a book and how harrowing bank rolling the taliban and al qaeda and she joins us from denver. at this juncture with the war still going on, should be close to resolution. instead it's going in a complete opposite direction. what's your view as to what's happening here? >> well i think a lot of mistakes were made immediately after the october 2001 invasion of afghanistan and we're seeing the affects of those mistakes now. >> eight years later? >> yes. i mean, first of all, the bush administration went in and the international community in general with a light footprint approach. afghanistan was dramatically under resourced compared to other postconflict situations, other places including kosovo, team work, cambodia, must less into re-introduction and trying to rebuilt afghanistan and into iraq. if we discuss iraq, of course, 2 wale was in 2003 when washington was ramping ip towards the invasion of the rourk that things started to spin out of control
things seem to be ratcheting up in afghanistan. stretching pete gretchen peters wrote a book and how harrowing bank rolling the taliban and al qaeda and she joins us from denver. at this juncture with the war still going on, should be close to resolution. instead it's going in a complete opposite direction. what's your view as to what's happening here? >> well i think a lot of mistakes were made immediately after the october 2001 invasion of afghanistan and we're seeing the affects of...
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strategy in afghanistan. you're now here, presumably you're going to tell me that things are much better. in what concrete ways can we look at the karzai government and feel -- take some comfort that the build phase and the transfer phase are going to work out since they centrally rest on the legitimacy, credibility and competence of that government? >> well, i did write things like that as a private citizen. and i think they're completely consistent with what is being said by my colleagues and my bosses, the secretary of state and the president, in the obama administration. if you read the president's speech carefully, you see that he said in very carefully phrased language that he was -- that president karzai made a very fine inaugural speech. and the president then, president obama in his speech, then referred to that inaugural address and said that president karzai's met important commitments on corruption and governance. and we want to see those carried out. >> do you think that he will stop his brother
strategy in afghanistan. you're now here, presumably you're going to tell me that things are much better. in what concrete ways can we look at the karzai government and feel -- take some comfort that the build phase and the transfer phase are going to work out since they centrally rest on the legitimacy, credibility and competence of that government? >> well, i did write things like that as a private citizen. and i think they're completely consistent with what is being said by my...
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Mar 28, 2010
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dan, why afghanistan? why now? >> reporter: well, obviously the president wanted to go there on the ground, first and foremost, to thank the american troops and the coalition forces as well who are, as he put it, protecting the american people, keeping them safe. he also wanted to meet with hamid karzai who is somewhat of a controversial leader. there have been a lot of questions about his last election. and so the u.s. really wants to make sure that there's a stable government there, a stable partner, even as it ramps up additional troops through the region. again, the president going there to say thank you to the u.s. troops for what they are doing. he made it clear that they are not going to be there forever because essentially he wants to make sure that the afghan army will be able to take care of its own security. first and foremost, the president pointing out that if, indeed, al qaeda is allowed to come back, sort of set up its operations there in afghanistan, it will only endanger the future of the american
dan, why afghanistan? why now? >> reporter: well, obviously the president wanted to go there on the ground, first and foremost, to thank the american troops and the coalition forces as well who are, as he put it, protecting the american people, keeping them safe. he also wanted to meet with hamid karzai who is somewhat of a controversial leader. there have been a lot of questions about his last election. and so the u.s. really wants to make sure that there's a stable government there, a...
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Jul 19, 2009
07/09
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forces in afghanistan. the bloodiest month yet of this war, which has been going on for more than eight years since the overthrow of the taliban. at least 50 people killed, u.s. and nato service men and women over the course of this month and the month is still far from over and you still have some significant military operations under way here in this province, some 4,000 marines capturing opium fields, an area used by the taliban to funnel weapons and fighters and drugs from the nearby pakistani border up into central afghanistan. t. j.? >> our ivan watson there for us in afghanistan. we appreciate your and the updates here about what's happening there. a civilian helicopter that went down. >> we have very little information as to exactly what happened, what brought that down. what we know, there was no hostile fire but we're getting a lot of wire reports as to what might have occurred. >> we'll keep on top of that as soon as we get more information. we'll pass it along to you. also, news out of afghanist
forces in afghanistan. the bloodiest month yet of this war, which has been going on for more than eight years since the overthrow of the taliban. at least 50 people killed, u.s. and nato service men and women over the course of this month and the month is still far from over and you still have some significant military operations under way here in this province, some 4,000 marines capturing opium fields, an area used by the taliban to funnel weapons and fighters and drugs from the nearby...